T-head mouth-piece for bridle-bits



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MEYER. T-HEAD MOUTH PIECE FOR-BRIDLE BITS.

No. 443,583. Patented Dec. 80, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

GEORGE MEYER, OF GRAVESEND, NEW' YORK.

T-HEAD MOUTH-PIECE FOR BRlDLE-BITS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,533, dated December 30, 1890.

Application filed September 26, 1890- Serial No. 366,207. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE MEYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gravesend, Kings county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsinT-I-Iead Mouth-Pieces forBridle-Bits, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

The object of this invention is to protect the lips of horses at the ends of the mouthpiece from injury by the rotating joint of the mouth-piece with the cheek-riu gs. \Vhen the cheek-piece is pivoted directly upon the end of the mouth-piece, it has been common to connect the cheek-piece with the end of the mouth-piece by inserting the joints of the cheek in a head which is small enough to readily crowd between the horses lips, by which means the joint of the mouth-piece and cheek are constantly exposed to the saliva and to the frictional rubbing of the joints. The resulting corrosion, as well as the sharp edges worn upon the head around the cheekpivots, operates to makes the horses lips sore, and sometimes operates to catch and pinch the horses lips, so as to make him run away or suddenly start from the resulting pain. By pivoting the cheeks at the upper and lower ends of a T-head longer than the space which is liable to exist between the horses lips the joint of the pivoted checks is wholly removed from contact with the lips and all injury to the lips from such moving joint is prevented.

It is obvious that my invention is not embodied in a curb-bit which is provided with any kind of T-head attached rigidly to the ends of the mouth-piece, as in such case there is no turning joint between the cheek-piece and the head of the mouth-piece.

In the drawings the T-head is shown applied to a jointed mouth-piece and also to a solid mouth-piece.

Figure 1 shows a jointed mouthpiece provided with my improvements; Fig. 2, a solid mouth-piece with the improvement, and Fig. 3 a plan of the mouth-piece with the cheekrings removed.

InFig. 1 the mouthpiece a is formed with a joint I) in the middle and each end is provided with the T-head c, projected upward and downward from the mouth-piece and having the plain cheek-ring d, fitted to its upper and lower ends upon fixed pivots g. The joint c of the head and pivot is thus considerably removed from the mouth-piece and is also removed from constant contact with the horses lips. The T-head may be projected farthest in a downward direction, as shown in Fig. 2, where the heads are shown formed upon the solid mouth-piece a, for the reason that the horses lower lip is movable much farther from the mouth-piece than the upper one.

In Fig. 1 the cheek-ring d is shown with eyes f, fitted to the pivots g, formed upon the ends of the T-head; but in Fig.2 the pivot of the ring extends all the way through the T- head, as is often done by forging or casting the hea upon the pivot.

The head is shown in the drawings of nearly cylindrical form, which adapts it to perform its function of guarding the horses lips from the joints 0 better than any other shape. The head may, however, be ornamented in any suitable manner, especially upon its outer side, where it is removed from contact with the lips.

My improvement is adapted to chain mouthpieces and those covered with india-rubber, provided the cheek-pieces are pivoted to the head of the mouth-piece at its opposite ends.

In Fig. 1,which is one-half the natural size,

the heads 0 are shown about four and a half inches long, and a greater length may be used with benefit in certain cases.

In Fig. 2, drawn to the same scale, the heads are projected upward from the mouth-piece about one inch and downward about an inch and a half, and I find in practice that the T- head should be projected above and below the mouth-piece a distance equal at least to the diameter of the mouth-piece itself to afford any efficient protection to the horses lips. The T-heads may with advantage be projected upward and downward to a much greater extent, the degree of projection beyond the amount stated depending upon the style of bridle with which the bit is used.

My invention relates only to such bits as have the cheek-piece pivoted directly upon the ends of the mouth-piece, in which case the cheek-piece is adapted to turn upon its pivots and produce the effects that have been described herein unless the mouth-piece be furnished with the T-heads I have described.

My invention is not applicable to any bits having the cheeks fastened rigidly to the ends of the mouth-piece, and I therefore Wholly disclaim any T-heads formed at the ends of the mouth-piece for the purpose of attaching a rigid cheek.

Having set forth the object of my invention, what I claim herein is- In a bridle-bit, the mouth-piece a, having the T or cross heads 0 rigidly connected therewith and projected upward and downward from said mouth-piece a distance equal at least to the diameter of the mouth-piece, and 5 having the cheek-pieces pivoted at the upper and lower ends of the T-heads by a movable joint, as and for the purpose set sorth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing 20 witnesses.

HEORGE MEYER.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN TURTON, THos. S. CRANE. 

